Door latch



Sept. 13, 1949. 1 EHRKE' 2,481,990

DOOR LATCH Filed July 10, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EK W J. C. EHRKE Sept. 13;, 1949.

DOOR LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 10, 1946 Patented Sept. 13.1949

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to improvements in door latches and operating mechanism therefore, in-

tended for general use but especially well adapted for use in connection with screen doors.

The object of this invention is toprovide a highly efficient door latch and. operating mech-' anism that is easy to install and operate.

To the above end the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings-- Fig'. l is a fragmentary front elevation of an outside door frame to which is hinged a screen door having the invention appliedthereto;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the line 2-2 of l on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the irresular line 5-5 of Fig. 4;-

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view partly in elevation and partly in section taken on the line 6-6.

of. Fig- 4; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view withsome parts sectioned and a double sear spring 18:. The cylinder L2,.

which carries the entire latch assembly II, is mounted in a transverse hOle in th outer stile of the screen door 9.

The pivot pin i3. on. which thebearing sleeve i4 is mounted extends diametrically through the cylinder I2 and is secured thereto at its ends. The latch bar extends longitudinally through the cylinder i2 and is intermediately pivoted on the bearing sleeve l4. On the innerend of the latch bar i5 is a detent I9 having a cam acting edge 20.

The lever I6 is bifurcated, straddles the inner end portion of the latch bar l5 and is pivoted on the. bearing sleeve l4. As. indicated at: 2|, the latch bar l5 and lever l6 have beveled contact. whereby when the lever I6 is moved rearwardly,

2 the latch bar i5 is carried with it to. release its: detent from a latch plate as will'presently appear. On the other hand, the latch bar I5- is free to be moved relative to the lever IE to release it detent I!) from the latch plate. The lever "i at its free. end portion is bifurcated anda roller 22 is journalled to and between the prongs 23; thereof. 1

As shown, the handle I1 is in the form of around bar having at one of its end portions, a.

radially projecting longitudinally split. sleeve 24. This sleeve 2i is telescoped onto the outer end; portion of the latch barli'and adjustably secured thereto for doors of difierent thicknesses by a nut. equipped bolt 25 insertable through aligned: holes 25 in said sleeve and latch bar. spring I8. is formed of a single piece of spring wire folded upon itself and the ends thereof are connected by a sleeve 21. The longitudinal mem bers of the spring [8 are coiled at 2B and encircle the bearing sleeve 14 with the lever l6 therebetween. The connecting sleeve 21 on the. spring [-8 engages the cylinder l2, as abase of resistanceand said spring at its other end is seated in notches 29 inthe backof the latch bar l5 and the lever Hi. This spring [8 normally holds the latch bar I5; and the. lever '16. inoperative positions in.

which they are pressed against the cylinder as: a $12011. 7

When the. door 9 is closed the. detent 1.9; engages a latch plate 3.0 on the; door frame 8 and holds.

said door closed. In. closing the door 9 the cam 20' on the. detent lifi enga es the, latch plate 3.0.;

retracts the latch bar It and permits the. detent Is to pass. said. latch plate and thereafter be Pro-' jected by the spring 18. back of the latch plate,- 3! and therebyhold the, door 9 closed.

Torelease the detent. [9 from. the. outside ofthe.

of. the door 5 by screws 32.. covers the outer end. .ofthe cylinder l2. and has a slot 33 in which the.

respective end. portion of the latch bar l5 works. On the inner face of the. door 9 is an escutcheon 34,. secured thereto by screws 35, covers the re spective end ofthe cylinder l2 and. has a slot 3.6,

in which the respective end, portion of the. latch bar [5 works.

A hand bar 31,v which extends. substantially the full width of the door 9. on the inside thereof, is. provided for. operating the. lever l6, and hence the latch bar [5,, from the. inside of said door. This hand bar 31 is a round tube pivotally attached The sear v at one of its ends to a post 38 for swinging movement perpendicular to the plane of the door 9. The post 38 has a base flange 39 that rests on the inner stile of the door 9 and is secured thereto by screws 40. The post 38 at its outer end portion is bifurcated and extends into the hand bar 3'! through an aperture 4| therein. A pivot pin 42 extend through aligned holes in the hand bar 31 and the post 33 to pivotally connect said hand bar to the post 38.

A sear spring43 is provided for swinging the hand bar 31 away from the door 9. This spring 43 has a coil 44 that encircles the pivot pin 42.

One arm of the spring 43 extends into the post 3B and engages the same as a base of resistance. The other arm of the spring 43 extends longitudinally into the hand bar 31. engages the outer side thereof and is under strain to swing said bar outwardly on the pivot pin 42.

The roller 22 and the respective end portion of the latch bar l extend into the hand bar 31 through an aperture 45 therein. The roller 22 is of such size as to run on diametrically opposits surfaces of the hand bar 31. A plug 46 normally closes the outer end of the hand bar 37 and is held in place by a nut equipped bolt 41 that extends through aligned holes in the hand bar 31 and the plug 48. The inner end of the hand bar 31 is permanently closed as indicated at 48.

Referring again to the latch plate 39, the same is secured to the door frame 8 by a pair of screws 49, one of which extends through a slot 58 in said plate and the other thereof extends through a hole Si in said plate. In attaching the latch plate 30 to the door frame 8 one of the screws 49 is inserted through the slot 59 and turned into said frame. Next, the latchplate 38 is endwise adjusted into proper relation to the detent I9 and then the other screw 49 is inserted through the hole 5| and turned into the door frame 8. This last screw 49positively holds the latch plate 3!! when adjusted.

To hold the latch bar l5 and the lever It with the detent interlocked with the latch plate 30 and thereby lock the door 9 closed, I provide a catch 52 in the form of an arm pivoted to a A coiled' fixed stud 53 on the escutcheon 34. spring 54, encircling the stud 53 is compressed between the catch 52 and a washer and nut 55 on said stud and yieldingl holds said catch when positioned. On the outer end portion of the catch 52 is a knob 56 by which said catch may be moved. The catch 52 has an edge portion 51 eccentric to the pivot of the catch 52. This eccentric edge 51, when the catch 52 is positioned as shown in Fig. 6, engages the latch bar l5 and the lever l6 and holds the same with the detent l9 interlocked with the latch plate 30. A stop shoulder 58 on the catch 52 limits the movement of said catch into an operative position.

To open the door 9, from the outside, it is only necessary to pull outwardly on the handle I! to move the latch bar l5, pivotally, relative to the lever l6 and withdraw the detent i9 from engagement with the latch plate 38. When operating the latch to open or close the door 9, the catch 52 must of course be released.

To open the door 9, from the inside, it is only necessary to press the hand bar 31 toward said door and move the same pivotally. This movement of the hand bar 31 will cause the roller 22 to travel on said bar and thereby move the lever 4 will carry with it th latch bar [5 and thereby release the detent from the latch bar I 5.

Obviously the hand bar 31 may be operated by hand by pressing the body thereagainst or 5 by pressing the same with a bundle carried in 52 from the stud 53,

latch is ready to be attached to a door.

From what has been said, it will be understood that the invention described is capable of modification as to details of construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a latch of the class described, a hinge member applicable to the inner side of a door, a hand bar pivoted at one of its end portions 5 to the hinge member for movement toward or from the door, a cylinder adapted to be mounted, in a transverse bore in the door, a lever and a latch bar extending into the cylinder from opposite sides of the door, said lever being pivoted at its inner end portion to the cylinder, said latch bar being intermediately pivoted to turn independently of the lever about the axis of its pivot, said lever, at its outer end portion, being slidably connected to the hand bar to be operated thereby, a handle on the outer end of the latch bar, and a detent on the inner end portion thereof, a spring yieldingly holding the latch bar with its detent projected, said lever, when operated by movement of the hand bar toward 0 the door, engaging the latch bar and moving the same therewith to retract the detent.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, further including a second spring under strain to move the hand bar away from the door.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the pivoted end portion of the lever is bifur-' cated with the inner end portion of the latch bar extending between the prongs thereof, the inner end portion of the latch bar overlapping the lever at the crotch thereof for moving said latch bar therewith when said lever is operated by a movement of the hand bar toward the door to retract the detent.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which" the hand bar is tubular and the lever has internal sliding contact therewith. 5. The structure defined in claim 1 in which the hand bar is tubular and the lever has on its outer end portion a roller that extends into the 60 outer end portion of the hand bar and has roll-1 ing contact therewith.

JOHN C. EHRKE.

REFERENCES CITED 4 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I6 pivotally. Pivotal movement of the lever I6 

